We begin this week's roundup with an inside look into the renewable energy industry—literally! Summer Rayne from It's Getting Hot in Here recently had the opportunity to tag along for the installation of some wind turbines by AES Energy in Abilene, TX. Here's an excerpt and a taste of the amazing pics Summer took:

August 29th

This week we saw alarming news about the current and potential effects of climate change, but also encouraging news in the fight to curb carbon emissions.

On the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall in southern Louisiana three years ago, Gulf Coast residents are bracing for another potential disaster as Tropical Storm Gustav moves steadily towards the Gulf region:

Today we observe a grim anniversary in our history. On the morning of August 28, 2005, at 6:10 a.m., Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the coast of Louisiana, packing devastating winds of up to 125 mph. Katrina affected communities from Florida to Mississippi, but it was in New Orleans that the storm left its cruelest footprint: 1,464 dead, more than 500,000 displaced (the largest population displacement in American history since the Civil War), over $22 billion in property damage, and an entire American city under water. The truly frightening prospect, however, is that thanks to global warming, Katrina may have been just a preview of things to come.

August 27th

Following up on Eli's post, I would point out that it's not just individual Americans who are well ahead of the politicians on energy and climate change. American businesses are also realizing that there's no future in the dirty fossil fuel economy, that we need to move towards a green economy, and that this will require bold action from Washington.

Here's a good example: our campaign ally Greenpeace is hosting the Businesses for a Safe Climate petition, where businesses can declare their support for a bold climate agenda. As of today, over 3,300 businesses from all over the country have signed the petition. I've included the text of the petition below. If you own or represent a business and would like to sign the petition, click here.

August 26th

Americans would love to do something about climate change but they are simply not willing to pay higher electricity bills. Right? … Right? Well that’s what many politicians would have us believe as they justify their continued inaction. Turns out it just isn’t true.

August 22nd

Here are a few of the week's biggest climate blog stories that didn't make it into the mainstream media.

It’s a little worrisome when Bill Gates and Warren Buffett (2 out of the 3 richest men in the world) tour the oil sands of Alberta and express their interest in investing in one of the world’s dirtiest sources of petroleum. Jake Brewer on It’s Getting Hot In Here reports:

This week we find a number of stories that show a clear pattern: In the absence of meaningful action at the federal level, states and cities are taking matters into their own hands to deal with climate change.

August 21st

And the reports just keep on coming! Brooklyn resident Megan Dietz, who blogs at The Sunny Way, visited the office of Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY) last Friday. She reports on her meeting with legislative aide Jehmal Hudson:

I felt good at the end of our meeting, like I had brought a new perspective into the room and I had also gotten what I wanted—a good read on where my Representative sits on the issues that matter to me. It was really great of Jehmal to take the time to speak with me, hear me out, and provide the information I requested. Overall it was a very positive experience.

The following is a guest post by Craig Nazor of Austin, Texas.. Craig visited the office of Senator John Cornyn as part of our August recess call to action, and then kindly agreed to write about his experience for our blog. -- Ada

It took me three phone calls to get an appointment with Senator John Cornyn's (R-TX) Washington energy specialist through teleconference from his Austin office. Cornyn simply wasn't available without months of advanced notice (I can’t believe that is really true for everybody, but that's what I was told). We met at 10:30 AM that morning for a half hour.

With gas prices sky-high, an economy in the tank (no pun intended) and a historic election fast approaching, there's no better time to get our leaders' attention and convince them to invest in a new economy powered by clean, renewable energy. On Saturday, September 27 -- the day after the 1st presidential debate -- you have a chance to do that by signing up for Green Jobs Now: A National Day of Action.